Tag: The University of Central Oklahoma

Update: Although campus activists put enormous pressure on the student body president to cancel the lecture at UCO’s Constitution Hall, President Betz has decided to restore Ham’s lecture for March 5.

Ken Ham: “I’m thrilled my talk at UCO is back on again. UCO officials have definitely heard from many concerned state legislators, several local residents, and alumni about the denial of our right to free speech.” AnswersInGenesis

The intolerant tolerant.

The University of Central Oklahoma (UCO), a school located in a region informally known as The Bible Belt, has booted Ken Ham, the president of Answers in Genesis, from speaking on the Edmond campus next month. UCO has reneged on a contract it signed that allowed Ken to give a talk on March 5. Ken’s presentation in the school’s Constitution Hall, titled “Genesis and the State of the Culture,” was objectionable to a campus LGBT group, which put heavy pressure on the UCO Student Association (UCOSA) to cancel Ken’s speaking engagement. In his proposed talk at UCO , Ken would have discussed the two different worldviews and their starting points when interpreting scientific evidence, as he did in his classic evolution/creation debate with Bill Nye “the Science Guy” four years ago.

Paul Blair, pastor of Fairview Baptist Church in Edmond, Oklahoma, and who worked through a campus group to arrange to have Ken appear in Constitution Hall (and was successful initially), has agreed to let Ken speak instead at his church near the UCO campus on March 5.

Our church has a campus student ministry called Valid Worldview. They have had an impact on many UCO students, including those in student government.

As such, the UCOSA (University of Central Oklahoma Student Association) asked me if we could get Ken Ham to appear at UCO. I reached out to Ken and the event was successfully scheduled. UCOSA initially had to fight the university to secure permission, but prevailed.

Recently, a tenured professor, who serves as sponsor of the campus LGBT clubs, rallied support and put intense pressure on the students in the UCOSA to rescind the invitation, which they reluctantly did. This is another case of bullying by those that decry intolerance. AnswersInGenesis